1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of electromagnetic induction well logging for determining the electrical resistivity of earth formations penetrated by a wellbore. More specifically, the invention is related to methods for processing induction voltage measurements into representative values of the resistivity of the formations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electromagnetic induction resistivity well logging instruments are well known in the art. Electromagnetic induction resistivity well logging instruments are used to determine the electrical conductivity (and its converse, resistivity) of earth formations penetrated by a wellbore. Measurements of the electrical conductivity are used for, among other things, inferring the fluid content of the earth formations. Typically, lower conductivity (higher resistivity) is associated with hydrocarbon-bearing earth formations.
The physical principles of electromagnetic induction resistivity well logging are described, for example, in, H. G. Doll, Introduction to Induction Logging and Application to Logging of Wells Drilled with Oil Based Mud, Journal of Petroleum Technology, vol. 1, p.148, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson Tex. (1949). Many improvements and modifications to electromagnetic induction resistivity instruments have been devised since publication of the Doll reference, supra. Examples of such modifications and improvements can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,517, U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,605 issued to Chandler et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,762 issued to Beard et al.
A limitation to the electromagnetic induction resistivity well logging instruments known in the art is that they typically include transmitter coils and receiver coils wound so that the magnetic moments of these coils are substantially parallel only to the axis of the instrument. Eddy currents are induced in the earth formations from the magnetic field generated by the transmitter coil, and in the induction instruments known in the art these eddy currents tend to flow in ground loops which are substantially perpendicular to the axis of the instrument. Voltages are then induced in the receiver coils related to the magnitude of the eddy currents. Certain earth formations, however, consist of thin layers of electrically conductive materials interleaved with thin layers of substantially non-conductive material. The response of the typical electromagnetic induction resistivity well logging instrument will be largely dependent on the conductivity of the conductive layers when the layers are substantially parallel to the flow path of the eddy currents. The substantially non-conductive layers will contribute only a small amount to the overall response of the instrument and therefore their presence will typically be masked by the presence of the conductive layers. The non-conductive layers, however, are the ones which are typically hydrocarbon-bearing and are of the most interest to the instrument user. Some earth formations which might be of commercial interest therefore may be overlooked by interpreting a well log made using the electromagnetic induction resistivity well logging instruments known in the art.
One solution to the limitation of the induction instruments known in the art is to include a transverse transmitter coil and a transverse receiver coil on the induction instrument, whereby the magnetic moments of these transverse coils is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the instrument. Such a solution was suggested in, L. A. Tabarovsky and M. I. Epov, Geometric and Frequency Focusing in Exploration of Anisotropic Seams, Nauka, USSR Academy of Science, Siberian Division, Novosibirsk, pp. 67-129 (1972). Tabarovsky and Epov suggest various arrangements of transverse transmitter coils and transverse receiver coils, and present simulations of the responses of these transverse coil systems configured as shown therein. Tabarovsky and Epov also describe a method of substantially reducing the effect on the voltage induced in transverse receiver coils which would be caused by eddy currents flowing in the wellbore. The wellbore is typically filled with a conductive fluid known as drilling mud. Eddy currents which flow in the drilling mud can substantially affect the magnitude of voltages induced in the transverse receiver coils. The wellbore signal reduction method described by Tabarovsky and Epov can be described as "frequency focusing", whereby induction voltage measurements are made at more than one frequency, and the signals induced in the transverse receiver coils are combined in a manner so that the effects of eddy currents flowing within certain geometries, such as the wellbore, can be substantially eliminated from the final result. Tabarovsky and Epov, however, do not suggest any configuration of signal processing circuitry which could perform the frequency focusing method suggested in their paper.
A device which can measure "frequency focused" transverse induction measurements is described in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 08/686,848 filed on Jul. 26, 1996, entitled, "Method and Apparatus for Transverse Electromagnetic Induction Logging", and assigned to the assignee of this invention. Interpreting measurements made from conventional induction logging instruments such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,517, U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,605 issued to Chandler et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,762 issued to Beard et al typically involves a process known as inversion. Inversion includes generating an initial estimate of the probable spatial distributions of resistivity around the logging instrument, and using the estimated spatial distribution to generate an expected response of the particular logging instrument given the estimated spatial distribution of resistivity. Differences between the expected response and the measured response are used to adjust the model of spatial distribution. The adjusted model of spatial distribution is then used to generate a new expected instrument response. The new expected response is then compared to the measured response. This process is repeated until the difference between the expected response and the measured response reaches a minimum. The apparent spatial distribution of resistivity which generates this "closest" expected response is deemed to be the distribution which most probably represents the spatial distribution of resistivities in the earth formations surveyed by the induction logging instrument. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,773 issued to Tabarovsky et al.
A limitation to using inversion methods for processing signals such as from the instrument described in patent application Ser. No. 08/686,848 is that the signals represent such complex phenomena as to make an initial estimate of the spatial distribution of resistivity impracticable to determine.